ORLANDO: After another disappointing non-playoff season, the Magic didn't overhaul the roster as had become the norm the last several years. New president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond preferred to tweak the roster instead, which hasn't generated much optimism that things will be much different this season. The most significant off-season addition was Jonathon Simmons, who came over from the Spurs and gives the Magic a defensive toughness and explosiveness from the guard position that has been missing. Jonathan Isaac, the Magic's No. 6 overall pick in June's NBA draft, is still not physically strong enough to be a starter, but his length, athleticism and willingness to play defense gives him a chance to make an impact off the bench. The only realistic hope that the Magic have of making the postseason for the first time in six seasons is that the bottom half of the Eastern Conference is equally flawed.

BOSTON: General manager Danny Ainge wooed Gordon Hayward away from Utah in free agency only to see him suffer a broken fibula and dislocated ankle on a play less than six minutes into a season-opening loss at Cleveland. All eyes will now be on Kyrie Irving, who was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Cavaliers that sent Isaiah Thomas to Cleveland. On paper it is an upgrade at point guard, adding a dynamic scorer who can create his own shot. While Boston has plenty of talent, there are also questions that need to be answered. Rebounding is a big one, and another is how exactly how this new 'position-less' starting five will fare on the defensive end. Some combination of Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier and rookie Semi Ojeleye are expected to be more involved than initially planned in an effort to fill the void created by Hayward's injury. The Celtics are set up for the future with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, but it's unclear if this group as constituted has enough firepower to dethrone the Cleveland as East champions.

PREVIEW

Irving questionable as Celtics host Magic

BOSTON -- There is a second pro sporting event in the Boston area Sunday.

Two hours before the New England Patriots, seeking the sixth championship of the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady Era, host the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC title game, the Boston Celtics host the floundering Orlando Magic at TD Garden.

The Celtics, in danger of suffering a third straight loss -- all at home -- for the first time all season, face a team that has lost eight of its last nine and 17 of its last 19.

The Magic (13-32) were coming off a big home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, rallying from 23 points down at Cleveland on Thursday night, only to suffer a last-second defeat.

"I'm disappointed for our guys," Orlando coach Frank Vogel said. "I felt like they deserved the victory. We didn't get the breaks down the stretch."

On the same night, the Celtics, playing without Kyrie Irving, had their worst offensive game of the season and fell to the Philadelphia 76ers on the parquet court.

"We were very sloppy, dribble didn't take us anywhere, not moving the ball, not getting to spots," coach Brad Stevens said. "And when Kyrie's out, you've got to be even better at those things."

Boston guard Marcus Smart called the loss "unacceptable."

The Celtics won the first two games of the season series with Orlando and has captured six straight over the Magic. More importantly for Sunday, Boston has won 14 straight and 17 of the last 18 against the Magic at TD Garden.

There was no word on whether Irving, who runs the Boston offense, will return for this game, the last before the Celtics head out for a four-game western trip. Irving, however, did practice Saturday, and Stevens said positive things. Irving said he was "ready to go out there and play."

The Celtics, who have been struggling on the offensive end -- even with Irving -- this month, added shooting small forward Jarell Eddie to a 10-day contract. Eddie has played in 31 NBA games with the Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns.

Stevens said Eddie, who had a brief two-day stay with the Celtics three years ago, was added for the trip because of injury and illness (Aron Baynes was out sick Saturday) on his roster.

"Obviously, as we went through this past week, as the flu has gone through our team, Kyrie and his shoulder," Stevens said, "we wanted to make sure as we get ready to head west that we had a full complement of guys."

Orlando's Arron Afflalo will miss the second game of his two-game suspension for throwing a punch at Minnesota's Nemaja Bjelica.

The loss Thursday night came on a controversial foul call on Shelvin Mack against Isaiah Thomas. The NBA ruled that the call was correct and Thomas hit two free throws with 11.2 seconds left for the winning points.

The Magic's rebounding problems, which have been worse the past 11 games without the injured Nikola Vucevic, remains a season-long struggle for a struggling team.

"I still think there's a lot of room for improvement on the defensive glass," Vogel told the Orlando Sentinel. "We continue to hit the guys over the head with the concept of wiping out crashers (opponents who try to collect offensive rebounds) and making them like an offensive lineman, trying to clear a path for a running back. That's got to be the goal. We too often watch the ball when we're under the rim and let the opposing teams get a running jump to the glass. So we're still improving there."